“You know I always stop there on Saturday night, Cassandra.”
“Did you hear me ask if you liked my – ”
“I heard… I sure look terrific, don’t I, honey?” he said, flexing his biceps in the mirror.
“Just great,” she tried to answer cheerfully as she gazed at his beer belly. “Let’s go.”
Eventually, when they entered Jack’s, Cassandra saw Shannon at a corner table, motioning for her to join her.
“Hey, Shannon, what’s new?” she asked when she hung her coat on the back of a chair. Shannon looked nice, with her long auburn hair flowing over her shoulders. She noticed that Shannon was alone. “Where’s Dan?”
“He’ll be here shortly. There was an emergency, so he asked me to meet him here. He’s on call tonight, one of the disadvantages of being a doctor. The emergency room is a busy place on New Year’s Eve. I thought you and Jeff were going out for dinner?”
“We are, if I can ever get him out of here. Our reservation is in an hour.”
Shannon looked at her. “You really do need to take the kids and get away from him, honey. We’ve been good friends for a long time now. Dan and I can see what he’s been doing to the three of you.”
“I can’t take the kids away from their father, Shannon. He doesn’t treat them the way he treats me. Besides, I don’t think I could make it on my own. With Kyle and Kayla in high school, it gets so expensive. You have two teenagers, so you know what I’m talking about; the monthly bills are way out of my league with only my salary, even with two jobs.”
“I know, but Dan treats me with respect. He makes me happy. He’s always helping with chores, not demanding that I do everything myself. Why don’t you at least go for some kind of counseling? I know of a good psychologist whose office is located close to your evening job. Maybe he could help you sort things out, get your life back on track. He’s even open some evenings.”
“I’ll think about it,” she said, then noticed the time and looked across the bar at Jeff. She tapped at her watch when he glanced at her, but he pointedly ignored her and continued talking to a woman sitting next to him. She’s dressed like a hooker. If it wasn’t for the twins, I’d let her have him.
“Well, I better get him out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow, Shannon.” She stood up, grabbed her coat from the back of her chair, and made her way over to him.
“Jeff, let’s go, we’re late.”
He kept talking to the woman as if Cassandra wasn’t even there. Finally, without a word, he stood up and headed for the exit.
“We’re an hour late,” she said, and followed him out the door. “We won’t get in now.”
“Well, tell me where you want to go then,” he said, and stumbled when he reached for the car door.
“Let’s just stop at the Country Café,” she suggested. “They shouldn’t be too crowded.”
He pulled into the Café parking lot and Cassandra opened her door.
“Just get me a burger and fries,” he said, handing her a twenty.
“What do you mean?” she asked, and looked at him in disgust. “Aren’t we going to have dinner here?”
“No, I’ll wait here. You go in and get it. You’re the one who wanted to eat,” he said, with a note of sarcasm.
“Just forget it. Take me home,” she said, and with moisture in her eyes, she closed her door. “I’ve had enough of this, Jeffrey. Can’t you just try to stay sober long enough to have a romantic evening with me?” Her lower lip trembled, and she knew she shouldn’t have spoken to him that way. It would only make him angry.
She kept her eyes straight in front of her, while tears slowly ran down her cheeks. Suddenly there was a consistent blare of a car horn. The vehicle ahead veered to avoid hitting them, as they headed straight into oncoming traffic.
“Jeff, watch out!” she screamed in terror when their car swerved into bright headlights, blinding her vision.
“Shit!” he said, and the brakes screeched as their car crashed into the oncoming semi.
Everything went black.
Chapter Four
“Cassandra, honey, can you hear me? It’s Shannon.”
Her eyes were heavy; she felt very, very tired. She heard a voice and tried to turn her head, but a sharp unbearable pain shot through her entire body. She heard a moan, and didn’t recognize it as coming from her.
“Cassandra, wake up, please, sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. Please wake up.”
The pain had eased, but she instinctively knew not to try to move. Again, she tried to open her swollen eyes. “Oh, shit,” she muttered, when she was finally able to open one eye, just slightly. “Shannon?” she whispered. “Is that you?” She felt the sterile gauze that wrapped the remainder of her face. “Where am I?” she asked hoarsely.
“You’re in the hospital, honey. You had a bad accident. You’ve been in a coma for two days. I rushed right over when your doctor phoned to let me know that you were beginning to wake up.”
“Where’s Jeff?”
“He’s in jail. Do you remember what happened?”
“No,” she murmured softly. With stitches in her lower lip, she was barely able to speak. It felt like it might split open again.
“Jeff drove into oncoming traffic. He was drunk, Cassandra. It’s a miracle that you made it out alive. When he attempted to get the car back into the correct lane, it spun out of control, and the semi had no time to stop. Your side of the car was destroyed and Jeff only ended up with a broken arm.”
“But why is he still in jail?”
“When the police arrived and tried to put him in handcuffs, he swung at the officer. His blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. He’ll be in there for a while.
“Dan went down to check on him this morning and found out he could be in for up to three years for driving while intoxicated, causing a near fatal car accident, and striking a police officer. Thank God the truck driver only had a few minor cuts and bruises.”
“Where are Kyle and Kayla? Shannon, I have to see them. They need to know I’m okay.”
“Don’t worry, honey. They’re both just fine. They’ll be staying with us for the time being, until you’re able to come home. Right now, they’re in school. They were here last night to see you, and they’ll be back as soon as school lets out. You go back to sleep now. You need to rest and the nurse will be here to check on you. I’ll pick the kids up from school, and we’ll be back soon.”
“Okay,” she murmured, then fell back into a deep sleep.
*
Cassandra slowly awakened. She felt as though she’d been sleeping for days. She tried to raise her arm but the pain was excruciating, causing tears to build. Then she remembered where she was and opened her eyes.
“Momma? Momma, are you awake?” Kayla asked, and gently took her hand. Kayla hadn’t called her momma since she was a little girl.
Across the room, Kyle stood up from a chair. “Hi, Mom,” he said with a smile, and softly caressed her arm. “You gave us quite a scare.”
“Come over here on this side,” Kayla motioned. “It hurts her too much to turn her head.”
“How are you doing, Mom?” Kyle asked when he moved next to Kayla. “We’ve been so worried about you.”
“I don’t know. These pain pills keep putting me back to sleep. I’d feel much worse without them though. The doctor was just here to see me. He told me I have two broken ribs and a cracked shoulder blade,” she whispered, “and cuts all over my face.”
“We know, Mom. It’s no wonder you’re in so much pain,” Kayla said. “Is there anything we can bring you? The nurse said we shouldn’t stay for more than a half hour, but we’ll be back after school tomorrow.”
“I won’t need anything for a while, honey. Right now, I can’t stay awake very long anyway. My eyes feel like they’ve been glued shut. I’ll want one of my books when I’m feeling a little better, but I don’t think I’d be able to hold onto one for a while yet. I only have my left eye to read w
ith anyway.”
“I wish there was something Kyle and I could do for you. We’d better leave now, so you can go back to sleep. Shannon told us to let you know she’ll be back to visit in the morning. She’s waiting for us in the lobby right now, so we’d better get going.”
“Okay. You do all you can to help Shannon and Dan, okay? I’m so thankful they were there for you. I love you.”
“Okay, Mom,” they both replied at once.
“We’ll talk more tomorrow,” Kayla added, smoothing down the blankets around her.
“Mom, I just want to tell you that Kayla and I talked earlier, and we decided we’re not going to see Dad. Under the circumstances, we don’t care to see him, at least not for a while. We want to be here with you, whenever Shannon is able to drive us.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“We love you too, Mom,” Kayla said quietly and then Cassandra drifted off to sleep.
*
Cassandra woke this morning feeling better than the day before. The nurse had opened the curtain, and when Cassandra gazed out the window, she noticed that the sun was shining and a tiny bird was sitting on the window ledge, tipping its head as though it could see her. She smiled and realized she felt a great improvement since last week. She was actually able to raise her arms far enough to eat by herself, and walk a short distance, with some help.
Now that she could use the telephone, she decided to call Auntie Em. When her mother left them, Cassandra was only five years old. Emma Fischer took care of her and her eight-year-old brother Johnny, when their father was at work. He worked a lot; sometimes he’d be gone for a long time, and she always wondered where her father went, but Auntie Em didn’t know. Cassandra called her Auntie Em, although she’d always treated her as if she was her daughter.
The nurse came into the room to take her blood pressure. “Now, you be sure to let me know if you need anything,” she said with a smile, and removed the breakfast tray from her bed stand.
“Thank you, I’m just fine right now.”
She dialed Auntie Em’s number and carefully sank back into her pillow, while the phone rang.
“Hello,” Auntie Em answered.
“Hi, Auntie Em.”
“Hi, honey. I’ve been so worried about you. How are you doing, dear? Kyle and Kayla have been keeping me posted.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to call you until now.”
Auntie Em learned about the accident on the ten o’clock news. “I called the house when I heard about the accident, but there was no answer,” she said. “The next day, Kayla happened to be home to grab some clothes for school and was about to go out the door when I called. She let me know that you’d be okay, but you’d be in the hospital for a couple of weeks. She promised she’d keep me posted, and that she’d have you call as soon as you could.”
“I’m feeling a lot better this week, Auntie Em. I’m able to move my arms and feed myself now.”
“I read about the accident and Jeff being in jail. Where are you going to go when you get out of the hospital, honey? Maybe I can take a bus down when you get home.”
“I don’t want you to make the long trip with your arthritis bothering you so badly. Shannon will be with me when the kids are in school.
“My boss came to see me today and told me I could have two months off, with pay.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful, dear.”
“He’s such a nice person, Auntie Em. I couldn’t ask for a better boss. I have three weeks’ vacation coming, and he said he’d cover the rest of my time to recuperate.”
“That’s very considerate of him.”
“I know; I was pretty concerned about making ends meet.
“Also, Shannon told me about a psychologist Dan knows from the hospital; they’re close friends. I think, when I’m able, I’ll go and talk to him. Maybe he can help me straighten things out and get back to living a normal life again.”
“That would be the best thing you could do, honey. You’ve been through so much mental abuse in your life, it’s time.”
“I know. I’d better go now, Auntie Em. The nurse just came in, and I really do need to rest, before the kids come to visit. I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart. You’ve grown into a strong woman, Cassandra, and I know you’ll make it through this ordeal. Call me again soon.”
“I’ll call you in a day or two. ’Bye, Auntie Em.” When she hung up the phone, she was thankful to see the nurse enter with her meds.
“How are you feeling, Cassandra?” the nurse asked.
“My ribs are beginning to trigger the pain again. I was about to call and ask for something when you walked in.”
“I was just going over your chart, and assumed you’d be ready for another one by now,” the nurse said, handing her a pill with a glass of water. “After all you’ve been through, you’re doing very well. It’s been twelve hours since your last pain pill, so you’re beginning to hold out longer without them now. I’m proud of you. You’ll be going home in no time.”
“Thank you, Nurse. I’m feeling much better than a week ago.”
“Well, you rest now. They’ll be bringing your lunch in about an hour,” she said, and replaced the chart at the foot of the bed. When the nurse left, a nurse’s aide paused at the door and carried in a beautiful assortment of flowers. Shannon, Dan, Sherry and Adam had signed the get-well card.
Cassandra leaned back, patiently waiting for the pill to kick in. She tried to relax; she’d have a lot to do when they released her. Jeff had tried to call her from prison, but she’d asked the nurses to block his calls. They’d informed him that she wasn’t able to accept calls yet.
However, today the nurse had come to tell her that he’d become angry and hostile during the last call, and they had to hang up on him. He’d threatened to come to the hospital, although they knew at the nurses’ station that he wouldn’t be out of prison for quite a while.
Cassandra knew that someday his time would come. She’d finally show him that he could no longer control her. Her life was her own, and she would learn how to reclaim it. She felt relieved, knowing that she’d be able to relax when she returned home, and concentrate on healing.
As the pill finally dulled the pain, she felt as though she was floating; floating away from her troubled life; away from the problems her father had always caused her; away from her life of abuse; just floating away, far, far away, looking for a new way of life for her and her children.
Chapter Five
Cassandra wore her sweats and rested on her bed, while she crunched on an ice cube from her water glass. Her overnight bag sat at the foot of the bed, packed and ready to go. She attempted to read, but her mind wandered, and her eyes kept roaming over to the doorway, as she watched for Shannon to arrive.
Today was her day. She was finally going home.
Shannon tapped lightly on the door and entered with a smile. Dressed in jeans and a fleece sweatshirt, she carried her leather jacket.
“Hey there, beautiful, are you ready for your big day?”
Cassandra smiled brightly. “You bet I am. Have a seat,” she said, and motioned toward the chair in the corner. “I’m just waiting for the nurse to bring my discharge papers, and then I’ll be free to go.”
“You look great,” Shannon said, and dragged a chair closer to the bed.
“You and Dan have been so good to us. I don’t know what we would have done without your help.”
“We’ve been friends for so long, we feel as though you’re part of our family. Of course we’re going to help you in any way we can.”
“I can’t wait to get outside for some fresh air. It’s a beautiful day to be heading home.”
“We had our first snowfall last night; the air is fresh and clean. You’ll love it after spending the past two weeks smelling the wonderful aroma of antiseptic,” Shannon said with chuckle. “How are you feeling today?”
“Pretty well, right now; I just wish the scars on my face
would disappear. I feel like a freak.”
“Oh, honey. They aren’t bad at all. You’re just as beautiful as ever, and after we saw your car, we just thanked the Lord that you’re still alive.”
“I know, but why was Jeff so lucky? He only ended up with a broken arm.”
“Well, think of it this way. If he hadn’t made it, or if he had injuries worse than a broken arm, the accident could very well have been worse. It could have killed you.
“Anyway, he’ll be far away from you for a while. That will give you time to recuperate and decide what you want to do with your life.”
“I made an appointment on Wednesday with Dr. Anderson.”
“That’s great news, honey. I’ll drive you. While you’re on those pain pills, I’ll take you anywhere you need to go.”
They both looked up as the rackety sound of wheels came through the doorway.
“Here’s a cart for your flowers,” the nurse said. “I just need your signature, and you’re fit to go. We’re glad you’re able to go home, Cassandra, but we’ll all miss you. You take good care of her, Shannon. Just walking will be quite painful for a while. She’ll need lots of help walking, sitting, and lying down.”
“One of us will be with her at all times, I promise,” Shannon said.
Another nurse entered with a wheelchair and helped her sit down comfortably. When they approached the nurses’ station, everyone gathered around to say their goodbyes and to wish her good luck.
They entered the elevator, the nurse guided the wheelchair in, and Shannon pushed the cart filled with flowers.
Cassandra waved goodbye as the door closed.
*
Dr. Anderson helped her settle into a softly cushioned chair, before sitting down behind his elegant mahogany desk. The office had a comfortable atmosphere, with thick beige carpeting that made her want to take her shoes off and sink her toes into it. Brown sleek drapes hung open at a bow window that overlooked a beautiful pond surrounded by pine trees covered with a fresh layer of sparkling white snowflakes.
“Are you comfortable, Cassandra? Would you like a beverage?”
The Sunny Side of the Mountain Page 2